Letter: Please learn CPR and how to use an AED

Teens at St. Peter’s Junior High in Mount Pearl are trained in AED/CPR by a St. John Ambulance instructor in this Telegram file photo.

Would you know what to do if someone suddenly collapsed and was unresponsive? Or would you stand helplessly by, unprepared and unable to help?
During the month of November, the Heart & Stroke office in Newfoundland and Labrador is offering free basic CPR skills sessions for residents of the Northeast Avalon. Each of the sessions will take approximately one hour to complete and anyone is welcome to attend. This is not a certified course, but participants will learn the basics of CPR skills.

For every one minute that defibrillation is delayed, the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest decreases.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in our province and in all of Canada. Heart & Stroke wants people to be prepared and to react quickly and appropriately in an emergency. There are approximately 40,000 cardiac arrests in Canada per year, 85 per cent occurring away from hospital settings. With the current survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests at a dismal five per cent, we need to do better.
For every one minute that defibrillation is delayed, the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest decreases. An individual’s chance of survival is more than doubled when early CPR is used in combination with defibrillation. CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use are essential skills that every person should know and have the confidence to use. They put the power to save a life in everyone’s hands.
On behalf of Heart & Stroke NL, I urge any of your readers interested in learning to save a life to contact our resuscitation program co-ordinator, Sherry Healy, at (709) 383-1031 or via email at sherry.healy@heartandstroke.ca. Space is limited, so it’s important to book early.
Remember, it’s in your hands: being able to respond can make the difference between life and death.